Diners: An American Tradition
My family and me at Meadows Diner.
Even though I’ve lived abroad for many years, I still miss a lot of foods from home. So whenever I go home, one of the first places I go is my local diner. The one near me is called Meadows Diner.
We don’t have anything quite like a real diner in Okayama. If you don’t know, a diner is a kind of restaurant where you can get a large variety of food at any time of day or night.
Many diners have a nostalgic or retro style, which makes them easy to recognize. Shiny metal siding and neon signs are also common. No two diners are exactly alike, but most of them have these characteristics:
-They’re open very late, often 24 hours.
-They have a large menu with breakfast, lunch, and dinner available all day.
-They’re usually local, family-owned, independent places (i.e. not a chain).
-They have bar seats as well as tables and booths.
-They serve lots of coffee, usually with free refills.
Some of the most popular items on the menu are usually breakfast foods, like omelets and pancakes, and lunch foods, like soups and sandwiches. And all of it is delicious.
Of course, I may be a little biased because I’m from New Jersey, the diner capital of the world! We have more diners than any other state in the U.S. There was an article about it just a couple of weeks ago on the BBC. Take a look!
http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20180925-the-diner-capital-of-the-world